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Thanks so much for the advice!
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Jun 17, 2023 20:52
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Leatherhead posted:I'd appreciate a little help: I'm going to buy my first ever laptop and have no idea where to start, because I'm not looking for a gaming rig. What's your budget?
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Jun 17, 2023 21:28
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Just thought I'd check here before making a decision. I have an old t460s that still runs, but I have been using my work laptop for the web/ word processing /etc for the last few years. I am getting a new job, and would like to not use my new work laptop for personal stuff since I'm not really supposed to, so I will need to ether go back to my t460s for those things, or upgrade to something newer. I would also like to play a few games that I can't play well on ps5 and I haven't installed on my work laptop for obvious reasons -- mostly strategy and simulation games like Football Manager, Rimworld, etc (nothing that would require a dedicated GPU on a newer machine except maybe Civ or Hearts of Iron (?)). Because I'm moving and might need the extra cash for that, I can't really justify spending much money on this, but I will need something to at least last a few months that I can use the web and putz around on. I am expecting a chunk of cash when my current house sells, but that wouldn't be closed until the Fall. So as I see it my options are: 1. Upgrade the t460s for ~$100 and wait until my finances are clearer 1a. If I do this, what is the best bang for my buck? One of the batteries is dead, and the other probably doesn't have much life, so I imagine those should be replaced. Currently the specs are an i5-6300U, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD -- should i go to 20 GB RAM? 2. Buy a cheaper new or used machine ideally under $500 on ebay -- what should I be looking for here? 3. Bite the bullet and get a new machine ideally under $1k? I think I'm leaning towards 1, but thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!
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Jun 17, 2023 22:17
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bike tory posted:Pretty much any new laptop with 16gb of RAM will handle that list well. What size are you looking at, and what budget? Lockback posted:What's your budget? $700 or less would be best; I can swing a little more if it's worth it, but I'll be out of pocket. Probably no more than $900.
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Jun 17, 2023 22:38
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Your a little under budget for a Thinkpad, but something like this would be really solid https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1763758-REG/lenovo_82sx0002us_14_ideapad_slim_7.html If your ok with certified refurbish then this is a great laptop for the price https://www.ebay.com/itm/155268988340 An $800 M1 MacBook Air probably does a better job though, but it's not Windows obviously....
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Jun 17, 2023 23:43
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Lockback posted:Your a little under budget for a Thinkpad, but something like this would be really solid drat yeah that refurbish would be just about perfect. I haven't bought anything through ebay in like 10 years but seller history looks pretty good and I'm gambling with company money so I'm willing to take the risk. I appreciate the help, thanks!
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Jun 18, 2023 03:28
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Ynglaur posted:If a college student were going to study data science, are there compelling reasons to use a MacBook over an iPad? Both seem to be very capable productivity laptops, but I'm not a Mac guy so xI worry there are important differences--particularly in the apps on each OS--that I wouldn't think to ask about. Get a macbook OP. You can install docker or podman on it and run databases and do other neato linux stuff I'm sure will be needed for that major. Plus it's a general unix-like environment which will be useful for a lot of tools in that field.
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Jun 18, 2023 03:44
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you might want to consider a Windows laptop with an Nvidia graphics card if the kid is planning to code on the laptop most people doing data science with macs end up remoting into a linux box so depends on if the student has access to a school server or something
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Jun 18, 2023 05:05
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mobby_6kl posted:I have the previous X1 Yoga (If that's what you're referring to) with the i7-1185G7. If it weren't for the corporate image bloatware, it'd be very snappy Awesome thank you (and everyone else that replied!) - before I pull the trigger, any criticism on these specs for a Thinkpad X1 Yoga Gen 8? Aside from the RAM being overkill mb lol 
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Jun 21, 2023 17:43
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black.lion posted:Awesome thank you (and everyone else that replied!) - before I pull the trigger, any criticism on these specs for a Thinkpad X1 Yoga Gen 8? Aside from the RAM being overkill mb lol Nope, if you're getting a good price that looks like a great laptop.
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Jun 21, 2023 18:05
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It's on heckin deep sale  Thanks bros pulling the trigger now, wifey.lion will be stoked!
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Jun 21, 2023 18:30
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I asked the monitor thread but didn稚 get much, I figured laptop-using folks might have some input: Good travel monitors? Just for work-type stuff, really. Spreadsheets, presentations, etc. on a laptop screen are a slow, painful death.
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Jun 24, 2023 00:10
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There aren't a whole lot on the market; I bought the cheapest one on Amazon that was USB-C PD powered near the start of the pandemic, it's survived two cross country moves and like, I dunno at least two dozen round trip cross country flights. It's sufficiently durable. I stack it against my laptop with the screen facing the laptop in my carry on luggage and it does fine It's not insanely bright but it'll do. I think it's the "nexigo 4k portable monitor" for $179 and it does 60fps if your laptop supports it Apple allows you to use an iPad as an external monitor I think as long as you're connecting to it from a Mac, haven't tried it with Windows or Linux though edit: I got this stand for it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LDQRHZR/ highly recommend 
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Jun 24, 2023 01:12
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I got a cheap 1080p portable monitor off Slickdeals, I like it. It's fine and worth the money. Don't expect magic.
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Jun 24, 2023 03:12
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REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS posted:I asked the monitor thread but didn稚 get much, I figured laptop-using folks might have some input: I built my own. $15 for an eDP to DP adapter: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802924803008.html $23 for a 1080p, 17.3" panel (they advertised it as 60hz but it was 120hz): https://www.ebay.com/itm/155335021815 $10 for a power supply: https://www.amazon.com/Converter-100-220V-Transformer-5-5x2-1mm-Accessories/dp/B08C594VNP Made a frame out of some scrap plywood. For $30 more you can just get one already built, like this 15.6" IPS screen, I'm sure it's fine, reviews seem OK with it: https://www.amazon.com/VILVA-Portable-Monitor-Laptop-Portable-Speakers/dp/B0BTSFVMLV/
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Jun 24, 2023 04:15
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Lockback posted:Don't expect magic. Good advice
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Jun 24, 2023 06:09
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Yeah, if it can keep or slow me going blind, that値l have to do.
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Jun 24, 2023 07:13
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What do y'all think about buying a new (old stock) ThinkPad x13 for 750 Canadian with gen 11 cpu vs t480 for 300 same specs except 8th gen chip, or a refurb X1 for 500 6th gen chip. Need to upgrade, from this Chromebook but still don't really have a good grasp on what you're actually paying for performance wise. I know objectively I don't need much more than a semi modern i5-i7 to run my web browsing/Excel sheets but I'd like perspective again thread. My current Chromebook just has too many compatibility issues with programs to try and run again. I keep picking Lenovo because their laptops have always felt resilient in build quality, even compared to some manufacturers that use aluminum materials.
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Jun 26, 2023 20:54
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I'd do the x13 but the t480 is probably better value in a vacuum if the battery is in good shape.
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Jun 26, 2023 21:03
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Yeah battery life is the big Q there, I have an 8th gen device and it's still great for office work but it only gets like 3-4 hours on the battery while doing that work. Which is not terrible but depends on your purposes. I guess the other consideration is Microsoft likely becoming more aggressive about pulling backwards compatibility and support.
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Jun 26, 2023 21:41
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Toalpaz posted:What do y'all think about buying a new (old stock) ThinkPad x13 for 750 Canadian with gen 11 cpu vs t480 for 300 same specs except 8th gen chip, or a refurb X1 for 500 6th gen chip. The only option I would not consider is the 6th gen CPU since it's not windows 11 supported which could be an issue in 2025. For me, my work laptops are almost always 2+ year old thinkpads I spend around $200 on. Sometimes they need new batteries later but my T450S is holding up so far. I might upgrade to a T480 or 490 in the next year or two but I just use it for work so it doesn't need to be particularly good, just boot fast on an SSD and have a screen that's higher res than a 1136x768 or whatever the basic garbage ones are.
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Jun 26, 2023 23:25
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I've been super happy having bought an 11th gen based Lenovo just as 12th gen was picking up steam. It's seems to do good on power/battery life to me but I was stepping up from 8th gen, which seemed to run significantly hotter to me.
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Jun 27, 2023 01:37
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I've been out of the laptop market for over 10 years, but I'm looking to get a little one that's not a chromebook that my Google-obsessed workplace provides. Budget is topped-out at $1300 AUD, which the exchange rate turns into $850 USD (but probably actually buys computers closer to about $650 USD). I'm in Australia btw. Being able to run the odd game on it is crucial; probably nothing more demanding than Deep Rock Galactic/XCOM 2/Battletech, but if the price drop-off is steep enough I could settle for things like Motorsport Manager/Battle Brothers/CK2. It does have to have normal arrow keys, like a tetris block, rather than the lovely little single-line ones. I have my pride! Smaller screen is ok, current chromebook is 12". Any recommendations on what's good in this price range? Konig fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Jun 27, 2023 |
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Jun 27, 2023 15:04
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Konig posted:
Looks like there might be some deals on Lenovo's Australia website. Maybe something like a Thinkpad E14 Gen 5 AMD? Or an Intel variant? They're both integrated graphics but the AMD igpus are pretty good, even if they're not the latest rdna graphics. https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpade/thinkpad-e14-gen-5-(14-inch-amd)/21jr001dau
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Jun 27, 2023 16:56
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Been using a maxed spec Thinkpad T440 for almost 10 years now. It has served me well but it's now lacking in general performance and the display could be tons better. I don't plan to do any heavy gaming on the laptop, only light gaming at most. My main focus is having a very nice 14" screen for watching media and travelling. Key things I'm looking for: * Non-touch glossy OLED high-res screen * 14 inch size * 16GB+ RAM * 500GB+ storage * Integrated graphics * Max budget ｣750 I came across saw this for ｣700 and it seemed like a good offer especially since it has everything I'm looking for: ASUS Vivobook Pro OLED M3401QA 14 Inch 2.8K 16:10 Laptop (AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11) Are there better value alternatives? How is the build quality for the Vivobook Pro? And in case I need to do future repairs myself, how easy are parts to source and undergo maintenance with? Any concerns with buying on Amazon? It's dispatched and sold directly from Amazon themselves.
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Jun 27, 2023 17:36
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Asus seems to be the only manufacturer going all in on OLED in terms of number of systems available and them not costing an arm and a leg. The reviews I've read are generally positive, with most gripes being due to the increased power consumption of the displays reducing runtimes just a little bit. E: if it's similar to this device, the ram is probably soldered and there's only 1 spot for an SSD, but 16gigs should be enough. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Vivobook-Pro-14-OLED-in-review-Pantone-Validated-laptop-packs-a-lot-of-processing-power.633568.0.html Mental Hospitality fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Jun 27, 2023 |
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Jun 27, 2023 18:13
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Thanks! Yeah the 16GB ram and 1tb SSD is plenty for my needs. The CPU would make a huge difference though since that's what's holding my current laptop back.
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Jun 27, 2023 19:08
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Titor posted:Thanks! Yeah the 16GB ram and 1tb SSD is plenty for my needs. The CPU would make a huge difference though since that's what's holding my current laptop back. The 5900hx is an older chip, but still pretty potent. Good multithread performance and can be very efficient. I have one in my Asus gaming rig and it is more than capable, especially paired with a midrange 3060.
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Jun 27, 2023 19:45
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Brother needs a new laptop because his music editing program updated and require windows 11 now and the old one is stuck on windows 7. Budget: ~$1000 Want integrated GPU & a good cpu so it can game / video edit as well
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Jun 28, 2023 19:06
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Kild posted:Brother needs a new laptop because his music editing program updated and require windows 11 now and the old one is stuck on windows 7. Do you know what kinda gaming?
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Jun 28, 2023 19:31
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Lockback posted:Do you know what kinda gaming? Mostly Minecraft, and recently dead island & saints row
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Jun 28, 2023 19:41
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I think the best value would be: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-r...p?skuId=6494633 Which is more of a portable-oriented laptop, and it's a smaller form factor at 14", but it's a very powerful, very well built machine (I own the 2060 version). $800 is a sale price, probably will be through this weekend? Maybe something like this if you have a microcenter nearby: https://www.microcenter.com/product/662555/msi-katana-15-b13vek-277us-156-gaming-laptop-computer-platinum-collection-black But I'd rather have the G14 (first link) between the two.
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Jun 28, 2023 19:49
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Lockback posted:I think the best value would be: That is a lot of good computer for $800.
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Jun 28, 2023 23:23
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Kild posted:Brother needs a new laptop because his music editing program updated and require windows 11 now and the old one is stuck on windows 7. If someone wants a new laptop I don't blame them but I very much doubt that the program requires Win 11.
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Jun 30, 2023 04:18
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Ynglaur posted:If a college student were going to study data science, are there compelling reasons to use a MacBook over an iPad? Both seem to be very capable productivity laptops, but I'm not a Mac guy so xI worry there are important differences--particularly in the apps on each OS--that I wouldn't think to ask about. Relevant: https://technicallychallenged.substack.com/p/buying-an-ipad-pro-for-coding-was quote:Buying an iPad Pro for coding was a mistake
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Jun 30, 2023 07:26
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Relative is looking for a new Windows laptop with a budget of around $1,200, here are the needs..
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Jun 30, 2023 22:18
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well excuse me, princess!
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I'd look at something like this LG Gram 16” 2in1 Lightweight Laptop, Intel 13th Gen Core i7 Evo Platform, Windows 11 Home, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Black https://a.co/d/89e9vpc This is a great deal too. Heavier, but more solid. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/lapt...vD_BwE#features Each 1k.
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Jun 30, 2023 22:46
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Number of items on screen is dictated by resolution not screen size. Also traveling with a 15" laptop is clunky and makes you look like a grandpa in meetings You can get an E16 Thinkpad for $865 https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpade/thinkpad-e16-(16-inch-amd)/len101t0067 The much higher quality T14/15p start at $599 and $1639 The T14 is probably overkill but if they have a hard requirement on 15" I'd probably buy something other than a Thinkpad as that's a big step up
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Jun 30, 2023 22:48
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I知 trying the psyche myself up for upgrading my gaming laptop. I have a couple year old triton-500 with a 1080p screen, an RTX 2060 6GB, and 512 GB SSD. I知 basically happy with the graphics performance with a little bit of optimization. 1080p is a fine resolution to me and so long as I get steady fps over 30 i知 ok. But where I知 hitting limits is the SSD. It just isn稚 big enough for modern games. I知 super excited for starfield, but that monster clocks in at 125 GB. So I知 thinking about upgrading to a 2 TB SSD (~ $100 for a high quality nvme stick) but the surgery on the laptop looks daunting. Like, it痴 well within my skillset but drat thats a lot of ribbon connectors.
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Jun 30, 2023 23:09
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It's easier than it looks. Don't force anything, take your time, take pictures before you unplug anything.
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Jun 30, 2023 23:28
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